By Tony Roig, Sr. Pro Player and Full-Time Pickleball Coach

Been getting lots of questions about why I decided to depart as Director of Player Development at Better Pickleball to form Tony Roig Pickleball (TRP). This article answers this question and shares the “why” for TRP. If you have followed me for any period of time, you know that I am obsessed with the “why” of everything – from my vantage point, searching for the why is what makes life interesting.

How we got here

From my perch as a 56-year-old, I have the benefit of a reasonably wide view of life. From here I see life (at least my life) as a series of phases. You do this for a certain amount of time. Then you do that.

Some of the phases are outside your control. For instance, if you have had children, those children have their own phases, and how those play out will directly impact your phases. Empty nesting is one such large phase shift that is outside the parent’s control.

Some phases, though, are within your control. Perhaps you were in a job you no longer wanted to do. So you left that job for a new one.

I was introduced to pickleball in 2015. From 2015 to 2018, I spent countless hours playing and studying this new-to-me sport. Prior to pickleball, I had played lots of tennis, including competitive league play. But from 2016 onward, I was all in on pickleball – haven’t played competitive tennis since.

In 2018, I added my voice to the YouTube pickleball space by launching the In2Pickle channel. I loved coming up with concepts to help players play a better game. The one that I am most known for from my YouTube-only days is Respect the X.

Shortly after I launched the channel, my wife suggested I get more serious about my pickleball passion and become a certified coach. Critically, she helped me see how I was always doing my best to help players with their games. Thanks to Jill’s insistence, I obtained my initial IPTPA certification in 2018.

From 2018 to 2020, I transitioned from my prior line of work into pickleball as my full-time profession. During the 2020 COVID period, fellow YouTube content creator CJ Johnson invited me to participate in a pickleball summit she was organizing.

After the summit, CJ and I began conversing about a joint project. And from there, the company known as Better Pickleball emerged.

One of the company's operating tenets was to provide access to the highest-quality pickleball coaching to as many players as possible. To accomplish this, the company would design and offer the most comprehensive online pickleball course anywhere – The Pickleball System.

CJ got to work on the back-end delivery platform, and I focused on developing and producing the System curriculum. That included developing the Three Pillars of Pickleball, the Return Side Wellness Check, Get Past 4, and the other substantive pieces that make up the System course. I later added what has become known as the FOSS Approach – launching a paradigm shift in how pickleball is most effectively learned.

Since the System launched in 2020, it has helped thousands (literally) of players all over the world improve their pickleball. Players ranging from beginner to aspiring Sr. Pro players have benefited from the course.

By delivering the System, we accomplished our objective of making pickleball coaching accessible to any player who wanted to learn. I am very proud to have been a part of creating and delivering the System.

Why TRP in 2026?

By 2026, the System was entering its 6th anniversary, and it was time to look forward – to what was next for the System. It also provided CJ and me an opportunity to dive deeper into where we were as coaches and where we wanted to go in the future.

CJ is, and has always been, a fantastic coach. She possesses a lifetime of coaching experience and is always growing in her craft. She also has a way of connecting with players at a deep level that is special.

My strengths, on the other hand, tend to be more along the analytical side: my interest (and I think my ability) lends itself to continuing to develop concepts and, ultimately, curricula designed to provide the “real story” of pickleball to players who want to learn it. I also enjoy coming up with new and creative ways for players to improve – through online as well as in-person coaching. If you’re along for the TRP ride, you’ll get to see a brand new approach right out of the gates. 

As CJ and I looked forward in our coaching careers, two things became evident:

1. We are both committed to the growth of our sport and to the players we are fortunate to coach.
2. We can reach more players (and have greater impact) by taking a two-pronged approach to coaching.

This is why we agreed that starting in the second half of 2026, CJ would stay at the reins of Better Pickleball, and I would begin this new venture (what we refer to as the Next Phase), Tony Roig Pickleball, or TRP for short.

What TRP is

To be clear, TRP is not a one-coach show. Our starting team at TRP includes dedicated coaches and players who are committed to our mission of helping players unlock their full pickleball potential. This project would not be possible without the tireless work of Kyleen, Jeff, Terri, Emily, Andrew, and Andrea.

TRP is designed around you. To bring you:

1. The best coaching information delivered by the best coaching team
2. The most vibrant and supportive community of pickleball players on the planet
3. As much growth as you want, as a pickleball player – and as a person.

Above all, TRP is all about you and your pickleball journey. Making the most out of it. Together.

No limitation: We will always do our best to make our coaching available to any player who is intent on learning and growth. To the extent possible, we will remove financial barriers to our coaching. In addition to our growing library of free resources, if there is ever a coaching program that interests you but is not within your budget, please let us know, and we will do what we can to make it happen. Our approach is coaching first. Always.

I hope you’ll join us inside TRP. If you’re interested, visit TonyRoigPickleball.com (or just click it) and check it out.

Hope to see you there.

Tony